Thanks Faye and hello all. Firstly let me introduce myself. Most of you will know me as Leonard of Magicshine AU but I am not here in that capacity. mtbRevolution is a separate entity working hand in hand with Xeccon Light for the promotion of Xeccon products. Both businesses are sponsors of this forum.

In the next few weeks, you will hear more about Xeccon and their products especially the new Spiker series. We will also talk about other goodies from Xeccon like the S12 with upgraded U2 emitters. There has been background activity in this regard which soon be revealed. So watch this space.

Xeccon requires little introduction but will now take this opportunity to step closer to the light. They are an experienced manufacturer of LED products who are now a registered trademark with patented products. Xeccon Light is driving its ambition to be a mainstream designer & manufacturer of bike lights and accessories. This means using innovative engineering, using quality parts and high regard for QC. It is not in Xeccon Lights modus operandi to bargain hunt for cheaper grades of componentry Ė I know a few do. To make the best of something you need the best and freshest ingredients. This is proven with product reviews found in other forums. This of course extends to the new products coming online.

We will talk, listen and breathe lights. Listening to what riders want is the recipe to designing and producing great LED products. New ideas and concepts have been tossed around at Xeccon. We will see fruits of labour in due course. We would like to hear more from you, mtbr contributors on what you want. We canít promise you it will happen, but we promise we will listen.

Xeccon has administration office in Bloomington, Indiana which manages the US market including warranty issues should they arise. Thatís buying confidence knowing your light warranty more than lip service. If you have warranty claim it will be dealt with promptly.

Faye or a representative from Xeccon Light will also be involved in discussions and answering questions you may have on all things Xeccon. We will sign off accordingly.

Can we have some warm white LEDs please, and for gods sake NOBODY WANTS STROBE MODE ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE LIGHT. NOBODY.

Light Sense is an auto light-sensing mode. It's certainly something new for bike lights. The Spiker 1206 has this sensor at the back of the unit which senses ambient light around it and adjust the output accordingly - there will be reviews of the 1206 and others on mtbr shortly. If the user doesn't want to use that feature, he/she can just skip that mode and use the Spiker 1206 in normal hi, low or strobe modes.

In my time dealing with lights, we have people insisting bike lights should have strobe while others think it's a waste of time - I've never used strobe in my night rides so to a degree I am with you there. Many commuters use their single spot lights on strobe in the daytime or late evening so they are seen in heavy traffic. Having a constant on makes them almost invisible in the "noise of lights" from cars, shops, signs etc.

Cat lately made a suggestion to Gloworm on red lenses to covert the X2/V2 into a daytime rear be-seen-light. Now that won't work if the X2/V2 doesn't have a strobe mode.

Xeccon will take all suggestions on board. There will be some lights with, and some without strobe. I've lived without it, but other's can't.

When will your website be up and running? Edit: I did see the Xeccon lights on the other site.

Where are the Xeccon lights manufactured?

Could you please post photos of the internal construction of the lights? For those of us who build lights, we would like to see how it's put together. The thermal transfer path from the LED to the housing is a big part of what separates the crappy lights from the quality lights.

On this subject, we need to have a mtbr Poll on LED colour/tone selection. It will be a useful insight to manufacturers.

Xeccon Light, from now on known as just Xeccon will use more, if not all U2s from now on. I was asked not long ago to choose colour tone for our special order S12 with U2. I found it hard to make up my mind on what I want, let alone what the masses want. There are many who like a warmer white while other's prefer a cooler white. Some like pure white or blue tone while others like a yellow tone for depth perception.

Will run the poll in due course. The Xeccon handle is a newbie so I don't think we can conduct polls yet. So if someone wants to start off that poll, we would appreciate it.

When will your website be up and running? Edit: I did see the Xeccon lights on the other site.

Where are the Xeccon lights manufactured?

Could you please post photos of the internal construction of the lights? For those of us who build lights, we would like to see how it's put together. The thermal transfer path from the LED to the housing is a big part of what separates the crappy lights from the quality lights.

Thanks

Xeccon lights are manufactured in "LED City" Shenzhen, China, just across from Hong Kong.

On pics of internals, we will have to defer that request. The Spikers are brand new lights with some cool ideas incorporated into them. Reviews are being conducted as we speak. Lux, temperature readings etc will be published. The performance will speak volumes of the construction inside. Good or bad, we will find out.

Xeccon S-12 review/preview

I thought I'd take this opportunity to tell people that I am one of the people that was contacted to review one of the new Xeccon lamps. Initially I declined because I really didn't want to mess with anything that I felt was meant to be used on the bars. I am very happy with my Gloworm X2 thank you. However since I am interested in finding a better/longer throwing helmet solution I asked if I could review something meant for the helmet. I guess the timing was right as Xeccon was about to release a U2 version of the S-12, the base product that the Bikeray Speed II is modeled after.

So anyway I have the new U2 version of the S-12 in me hot little hands. So to whom it may concern:

I have received the Xeccon S-12 from Xeccon for the purpose of doing an impartial user review. No money was paid for the light set. I have not been asked to return the lamp when the review is over. I do not work or receive any compensation for doing the review other than keeping the light ( If I chose to do so ) If Xeccon chooses to request the lamp back when I am done I will comply with the request.

When I am ready I will post a separate thread for the review. The review will be very basic. I will compare it to a couple lamps and torches that I use for helmet duties. There will be no tear-down of the lamp or battery. There will be some beam shot photos but not many. Since I feel that any lamp might have to withstand some rain I will give it a quick 15 min. splash down some time during the review. As per my other review(s), if anything goes wrong I will report it as such.

Originally Posted by .40AET

...Could you please post photos of the internal construction of the lights? For those of us who build lights, we would like to see how it's put together. The thermal transfer path from the LED to the housing is a big part of what separates the crappy lights from the quality lights.

Thanks

.40AET, Consider this a quickie peek at my review...The construction of the S-12 (U2) looks very solid. One thing I did notice right away is that it is a bit heavier than my MS 808E. No doubt the internal heat sink/reflector has some added weight. This should aid in the lamps ability to dissipate heat.

So far I have only shone the light around a couple times while at work. I like what I'm initially seeing. Definitely is out-throwing my drop-in torches but of course I am getting ahead of myself. Best that I not add too much pre-review hype as I intend to let the beam photos do most of the talking.

Thanks for the declaration Cat. We will say as little as possible about the S12 with U2 so we don't pre-empt your review.

We asked you because you have a reputation of saying things as they are(and an obsession for light throw). I remember your review and thoughts of the X1 when you first got it. You spoke freely without fear or favor. We expect no less from you here. Forum reviews are risky for manufacturers. The choice of coming to you is akin to a game of poker. We know we have a good hand and we're going all in.

The S12 is not exactly new so we do not need a comprehensive introduction to the light. Just need your thoughts of how it looks, performs (including a good bath so don't hold back), weaknesses and improvement suggestions. We do not expect lux and temperature test for this S12 review. We need those for the Spiker 1206, 1207 and 1210 though.

Xeccon will be releasing their rear light soon - if my meddling don't hold them up longer. mtbr members have commented on various occasions about wanting an uber bright rear light. We have to balance that with everyday use, so I have suggested to Xeccon to incorporate a dimmable or brightness mode feature on a XP-G (minimum) equipped rear blinker. It will not be XM-L U2, sorry. If anyone has suggestions or ideas, please feel free to share them in this thread.

Reviewed lights should be in separate threads but anything to do with Xeccon and lights in general, please post in this one.

Thanks for the declaration Cat. We will say as little as possible about the S12 with U2 so we don't pre-empt your review.

We asked you because you have a reputation of saying things as they are(and an obsession for light throw). I remember your review and thoughts of the X1 when you first got it. You spoke freely without fear or favor. We expect no less from you here. Forum reviews are risky for manufacturers. The choice of coming to you is akin to a game of poker. We know we have a good hand and we're going all in.

Here is some information for reader to know what is ahead. Xeccon has sent me some of their Spiker Series light. I recieved them several days ago and have been getting myself familiar with them. I will be posting my review. They will not be all review at the same time to prevent clustering the board.

At Znomit: I do have the 1206 light with sensor mode for review. That will be up soon. It senses the surrounding light and adjust the output. More on that in the review thread.

At Catmando: I can hardly wait to see your review for the S12 U2. Sound like a impressive thrower.

Hi Colleen, you're welcome and thanks again for doing this for us. We will say the same to you as we've said to Cat. Review and report as you've tested them. If there are flaws, we want to get on top of it. Please take your time with the reviews. We are in no hurry. Doing them one at a time is probably the best idea.

As for the review samples, it's normal practice for the reviewer to keep the items he/she reviewed whether the outcome is A+ or F. We won't break convention. If you are reviewing a Mercedes Benz E55 AMG then yes, we want it back.

A note: I just ordered some 1207s. Xeccon will build 1207s in U2 for us because we do not want anything else. I think you may have been given the standard spec 1207 before this was confirmed. I will confirm with Faye.

We have been talking about a Poll for colour tints, whether it's T6 or U2. I need to know what to list on the poll. Warm White, Cool White, Pure White, Yellow-er tints, Blue-r tints and I know Greener tints are out the window so we won't include that. Or quote in spectrum numbers. So readers please tell us what tints you like and we'll put on the poll list and see how they fare in percentage terms. We will make future decisions from there.

Hi Tim, we are doing reviews of 3 lights so we can get closer lumen numbers etc. so lets wait for the review. Cat's review of S12 U2 is not part of the review involving integrating sphere and temperature test. We are looking to confirm the S12 U2, not standard S12, throws well.

Please check mtbRevolution.com. instead for reference - we have an ad banner on the right and our own signature mtbRevolution.com. If we are saying something wrong there by all means tell me. Xecconlight.com is not under my control and is going through a re-vamp before their banner ad becomes live. It will match theoretical lumens and estimated nominal lumens standards we are used to.

Hi all, we have not been away, but we have been away from the reviews as to let the review/s flow with minimal interference. If we didnít answer you itís not because we didnít read your questions. We just needed to step aside which is hard to do because we believe in quick responding customer service. We asked Colleen and Cat to review our lights because they will find out everything there is to know about the lights they are reviewing. Itís THEIR review. We will keep it that way.

With their expertise, experience and technical knowledge with lights, they are more than capable answering questions from members. We leave it to them to answer you in their review post. If you have questions in the general nature or questions about the lights being reviewed but want to ask us directly, please do so here.

With two reviews in progress and another two to come Ė the 1207 and 1210, we will continue talking about other things happening at Xeccon. We will reveal there are two more new Spikers about to be launched. So thatís a total of 5 new Spikers and a new rear light in Xecconís new arsenal.

Now, we have also spoken about the market wanting a really bright rear light. The new one we just spoke about has gone too far into the process to be changed. However, suggestions have been taken on board so we will be looking into building that really bright rear light soon. This high-powered rear light will not be a self-contained unit.

Xeccon will have an exhibitors booth at Interbike 2012 happening in Las Vegas, Sept 19-21. We will launch another exciting new product then which I am not at liberty to divulge at the moment. If you are at Interbike, please drop by and say hello to our US representatives who are in charge of the US market. They are the people handling warranties and new reseller contracts. For resellers interested in working with Xeccon, please contact Faye at Xeccon.

After the dust has settled from the launch of the Spikers and the buzz of Interbike over, we will get back to working on the bright rear light and some prototypes. We have been working on some concepts including an insanely long throwing bar light. We will see how that goes. As you would have noticed, Xeccon don't do ordinary.

We still havenít done the LED tint poll. To make it simple, my suggestion would be Warm, Neutral or Cool White. We will get it going soon. Majority rules so please put in your vote so we can best work for YOU.

We also mentioned about XecconLight having a banner ad above mtbrevolution.com. That has been deferred, for now. We have spoken to admin about some issues which they will look into.

All seems to be going well to date so by the end of next week, I will demand Cat to pass over the Salmon.

New Product Update

Hi all,

Xeccon will be releasing it's new rear light. This micro design will also be used for a front light model equipped with Cree XM-L U2. The rear light will be equipped with Cree R2 Red with 200 theoretical lumens probably producing over 100 lumens. We're still working on the mounting options before release. This is a sneak preview of the lamp head.

Geinea weights a mere 23 grams. Dimensions are 27 diameter by 23mm long. The reflector uses an optical lens. Runtime with the R2 Red is approximately 15 hours and 3.5 hours with the U2.

The light set will come with Xeccon's BAK 4400mAh battery. It will be sold individually or as a set including Y cables to share the battery pack. Connectors are standard so it will work with most batteries.

Xeccon is still working on a brighter rear light. We will bring you news closer to date.

Xeccon will be releasing it's new rear light. This micro design will also be used for a front light model equipped with Cree XM-L U2. The rear light will be equipped with Cree R2 Red with 200 theoretical lumens probably producing over 100 lumens. We're still working on the mounting options before release. This is a sneak preview of the lamp head.

Geinea weights a mere 23 grams. Dimensions are 27 diameter by 23mm long. The reflector uses an optical lens. Runtime with the R2 Red is approximately 15 hours and 3.5 hours with the U2.

The light set will come with Xeccon's BAK 4400mAh battery. It will be sold individually or as a set including Y cables to share the battery pack. Connectors are standard so it will work with most batteries.

Xeccon is still working on a brighter rear light. We will bring you news closer to date.

Happy trails.

Leonard

Hi Leonard,
Interesting light, this should attract lots of attention! Hope things are going well for you.
Mole

Interested in the set. Are both coming out on the 20th, or just the front, as u said the rear is on the drawing board? Thanks Leonard, take care...
patrick

Hi Pat, the Geinea is both front U2 and rear R2 Red light. Will advise when it's both available. At this stage, it's 19 days to go but being new products, there may be delays.

There is a second rear light pending. The design is based on what I think riders like yourself want. We just have to work on the practicalities of the triangular 3 x XP-G design. Xeccon engineers think it's workable so, fingers crossed. We can go 800 lumens easy but that would be excessive. 400-500 real lumens is already the high end of town. Our aim is the vicinity of DS500 and 400R. Please let me know what you guys think.

Originally Posted by mb323323

What do you think lumens will be for the U2. Also, do you have a helmet mount for it.

I have a GEO battery and a Y cable already so this is interesting as a rear light as well.

Let us know when you know the individual price.

Thx

MB

Hi mb, I have not been given that information yet. Chances are, it won't be driven as hard as the S12 U2 or Spiker 1206. Mounting options are being considered. Helmet mount most certainly under consideration. Will advise when I hear more.

Originally Posted by MRMOLE

Hi Leonard,
Interesting light, this should attract lots of attention! Hope things are going well for you.
Mole

Request for Colleen: Temp Test & Amp Draw

Colleen, can you please do a temp test and amp draw especially for the Spiker 1210. Would love to know how well that red-carrot-grater heat sink works compared to the 872 and 872 clone especially. Interesting wall shot comparison of all 4 lights. The 1210 and 872 clone has almost identical brightness and beam pattern.

If not too much to ask, can you please post the amp draw and runtime of the 1207 T6. My runtime test got an average of 3 hours 35 mins over 6 runs for the U2 OD version. I'm keen to know where the extra 1 hour runtime comes from. The MJ-880 with 6600mAh runs for about 2.5 hours at 2.8A in comparison.

I would be interested of using a non self contained rear light which performs way better than my Niteflux RZ4 and Dinotte 300R combo. A rear light that has 800 real lumens on flash mode for day time use and a 500 real lumens on steady mode for night riding. Possible?

I would be interested of using a non self contained rear light which performs way better than my Niteflux RZ4 and Dinotte 300R combo. A rear light that has 800 real lumens on flash mode for day time use and a 500 real lumens on steady mode for night riding. Possible?

Hi Iwanttorideatnight, 800 lumens is certainly possible. Heat won't be a problem in it's small shell since it's not constantly on. Imagine something bigger like a Bikeray 3 or similar tri-XP-G R5s as a rear light, strobbing away. Used in midday it would be great. 500 lumens in the night is still quite high.

During design, the idea of incorporating Light Sense like what's used in the Spiker 1206 was considered. This time in reverse. If there is enough ambient light, this rear light will go max output. As ambient light fades, the output lowers.

Xeccon's new wireless remote is another possibility. However like all products, we need to aim for miniature size and a pricepoint where people feel comfortable paying.

I would be interested of using a non self contained rear light which performs way better than my Niteflux RZ4 and Dinotte 300R combo. A rear light that has 800 real lumens on flash mode for day time use and a 500 real lumens on steady mode for night riding. Possible?

I think once you pass 500 lumen for a rear light you're passing the point of diminished returns. Five hundred lumen is damn bright for a rear light. If you go higher you are going to need more emitters and bigger batteries. Five hundred lumen should be more than enough for day time use and still keep the lamp and battery size to a minimum. Personally I favor "Amber LED's" for day time use. The RZ4 and 300R should be more than enough for sunset/night use. Anymore is just overkill.

From my perspective, Cat has it right for night time riding. 400 lumens is sufficient.

However, during the day, I still use 2 rear lights and the more lumens the better. I have had drivers pass me and can see right in the car that they are texting as they drive. Amazing. I've seen this numerous times.

What do you think lumens will be for the U2.
Let us know when you know the individual price.
MB

Hi mb. According to Xeccon, the U2 version of the Geinea will be driven about the same as the Spiker 1206. Going back to Colleen's review of the 1206, we should expect an amp draw of about 1.1A. A little under-driven but probably good thermal management considering it's size and lack of heat sinking. As you recall, the 1206 ran pretty cool in her temp test.

The 1206 had a 700 lumen reading from her sphere. Geinea uses optics and depending on the beam pattern via those optics, best guess is 650-680 lumen range.

Tried to imagine the beam pattern from such a light, so I took out my MJ-880 U2, set it to level 4 or 80% brightness and covered one lens with my thumb. If a micro light weighing 23 grams produced that kind of brightness, it would be something. A tighter beam angle will further improve it for helmet duties.

Will advise when the price is released.

Also, hear what you're saying about the 3 LED rear light brightness. I use the MJ-818 (about 50 lumens) myself and find that too bright for my needs already. A problem with using ultra bright rear lights in urban areas is, you may encounter bird flippin' every so often.

I'm very interested in these lights as I'm looking for a spot thrower for use on the helmet. Cat's review of the S-12 suggests it is the king of spot-throw! But a quick look on the mtbRevolution site indicates this light is very similar.

So here's my question: how does the Spiker 1206 compare to the S-12 in terms of beam? On paper the Spiker 1206 and S-12 seem pretty similar, maybe with just a different housing. Is the reflector the main difference? I like the housing of the 1206 better mostly because of where the cable comes out, and it seems to be more waterproof. But if the S-12 is a more focused, powerful spot-thrower, that is where I'll go....

Thanks guys and keep up the good work!

Hi Slyfink, I will answer you here. Since Cat has the S12 U2 and Colleen has the Spiker 1206 and neither of them have both, it's probably better if I answered your question.

The S12 U2 and the Spiker 1206 are both equipped with XM-L U2 OD. The big difference is the distorted mirror finish reflector which doubles as a heat sink of the S12 compared to a relatively standard orange peel reflector used by 1206. Majority of spots use OP finish reflector which smooths out transition but lack throw compared to a mirror finish like the S12.

The heat sink reflector housing alone weights 25 grams - that's heavier than the whole Geinea light head. There are 2 o-rings which seal the reflector. This is a big addition to it's weight but necessary for good heat management and throw performance. Now the Cat's out of the bag on why the S12 out throws most lights.

So, the conclusion is if you're after throw, go S12 - you will not be disappointed, I promise you. If you're after a general spot light with features go 1206. Close to mid range flood go 1210. 3/4 range flood is best handled by 1207

The Spikers have better waterproofing design than the S series. The S series will pass waterproofing test you throw at it.

Please let me know if you have other questions to help you make your decision.

Colleen, can you please do a temp test and amp draw especially for the Spiker 1210. Would love to know how well that red-carrot-grater heat sink works compared to the 872 and 872 clone especially. Interesting wall shot comparison of all 4 lights. The 1210 and 872 clone has almost identical brightness and beam pattern.

If not too much to ask, can you please post the amp draw and runtime of the 1207 T6. My runtime test got an average of 3 hours 35 mins over 6 runs for the U2 OD version. I'm keen to know where the extra 1 hour runtime comes from. The MJ-880 with 6600mAh runs for about 2.5 hours at 2.8A in comparison.

Thanks in advance.

Leonard

Will do the temp test on the 1210.

The 1207 T6 draw 2.45 on initial start up and settle to 2.32 amps after two minutes. I was able to get 3hr 21min of runtime from a test I done this weekend. Don't know where the extra time came from. I do not see any PWM in the high mode. I use a camera on manual setting at f8 and scroll from 1/30 to 1/2500 shutter and did not see any blinking from the led. I did see some from the 1210 and I think that's from the stepless setting since that light do not really have a high mode. I did not test the lumen output at the last hour mark and that migh be where the extra runtime may occur if the unit did indeed step down but just from observation, the brightness seem to be the same as the initial start.

The 1207 T6 draw 2.45 on initial start up and settle to 2.32 amps after two minutes. I was able to get 3hr 21min of runtime from a test I done this weekend. Don't know where the extra time came from. I do not see any PWM in the high mode. I use a camera on manual setting at f8 and scroll from 1/30 to 1/2500 shutter and did not see any blinking from the led. I did see some from the 1210 and I think that's from the stepless setting since that light do not really have a high mode. I did not test the lumen output at the last hour mark and that migh be where the extra runtime may occur if the unit did indeed step down but just from observation, the brightness seem to be the same as the initial start.

So there's a 0.4A difference with the MJ-880. Is this enough to give it an extra 50 mins runtime with the T6 version? Good question, heh?

From the comparison of the 1210, 872, 872 Clone and BR4, wall shot, it seems the 1210 to have an ever so slightly brighter hotspot compared to the clone. Can we confirm this with a lux test?

Excellent Service!

Based on Cat-man-do's user review, I decided to get the S12 with Cree XM-L U2. The current offer of free express shipping certainly tipped the balance to ordering it before next payday.

Placed my order at 12:30 Sunday night/Monday Morning. I received a response from Leonard within a few minutes. Exchanged a couple of emails clarifying points re electrical plug-in, colour availability with North American connection, and that the US style connection would be shipped from Hong Kong. Emails also included some personal chit-chat, and answers to Q's about upcoming products.

Order shipped Monday, with tracking number received that evening.

Shipment received in Calgary, AB, Canada Wednesday evening.

Gave it a quick shine around. It easily light up things on the other side of the condo complex.

I honestly did not expect to get it in time for my camping/biking trip in the Rocky Mountains this weekend. Can't wait to get it fully charged and take it out on the trails.

Hi Slyfink, I will answer you here. Since Cat has the S12 U2 and Colleen has the Spiker 1206 and neither of them have both, it's probably better if I answered your question.

The S12 U2 and the Spiker 1206 are both equipped with XM-L U2 OD. The big difference is the distorted mirror finish reflector which doubles as a heat sink of the S12 compared to a relatively standard orange peel reflector used by 1206. Majority of spots use OP finish reflector which smooths out transition but lack throw compared to a mirror finish like the S12.

The heat sink reflector housing alone weights 25 grams - that's heavier than the whole Geinea light head. There are 2 o-rings which seal the reflector. This is a big addition to it's weight but necessary for good heat management and throw performance. Now the Cat's out of the bag on why the S12 out throws most lights.

So, the conclusion is if you're after throw, go S12 - you will not be disappointed, I promise you. If you're after a general spot light with features go 1206. Close to mid range flood go 1210. 3/4 range flood is best handled by 1207

The Spikers have better waterproofing design than the S series. The S series will pass waterproofing test you throw at it.

Please let me know if you have other questions to help you make your decision.

Leonard

awesome, thank you. Sounds like an S12 is in my future. one last question though: can I use the lighthead with my geomangear batteries?

Based on Cat-man-do's user review, I decided to get the S12 with Cree XM-L U2. The current offer of free express shipping certainly tipped the balance to ordering it before next payday.

Placed my order at 12:30 Sunday night/Monday Morning. I received a response from Leonard within a few minutes. Exchanged a couple of emails clarifying points re electrical plug-in, colour availability with North American connection, and that the US style connection would be shipped from Hong Kong. Emails also included some personal chit-chat, and answers to Q's about upcoming products.

Order shipped Monday, with tracking number received that evening.

Shipment received in Calgary, AB, Canada Wednesday evening.

Gave it a quick shine around. It easily light up things on the other side of the condo complex.

I honestly did not expect to get it in time for my camping/biking trip in the Rocky Mountains this weekend. Can't wait to get it fully charged and take it out on the trails.

Ian, I'm in Canada too, and I was wondering what shipping method you used, and did you get charged extra fees other than taxes? And did you have to specify in your order that you're in North America?

I know the Canadian government recently changed the amount you can import when traveling. I don't know if this also affected online/mail order limits. It used to be that officially above $25 (in real life above $60) triggered customs inspection. Maybe they've gotten a bit more lenient. Pure guestimate on my part, but I suspect that if you ordered multiple lights at once, it might put the total in a $ rage that could cause the CBSA to want a look-see (Canada Border Services Agency). That can also be affected by how the shipper lists the "Declared value for customs purposes."

I've got two orders, from other suppliers, coming by different modes of transport with slightly higher $ values. For one, Canada Post tracking is calling it Express Post. The other it's labeled it Registered Letter Mail. I'll let you know if they get the subject to GST, customs inspection, and its processing fee.

I've been excitedly showing my S12 around the office all day. You know, a big kid with a new toy. Everyone just gets a stunned look and says "Wow, that's bright!"

Just to compliment Leonard's service - ordered S12 U2 based on Cat's review. Although that was before free shipping promotion, lights were shipped very quick to Europe, and as I've already did couple of rides - perfect helmet light! Thanks Leo! PS. No customer charges so far ,too..

Shipping Update

Hi all,

China is having their Autumn Festival holidays from 30th Sep to Oct 7. There will be no shipping from our China office during this time. Not because we are not working but freight agents etc aren't. Items which have to be shipped from there will be dispatched on the 8th. When China goes on holidays, basically everything shuts down.

We have stock for most items in Australia for the Midnight Specials so please send us a PM, e-mail or speak to us on Live Help to confirm. We have limited number of chargers so please hurry if you want your items quickly.

K.T of WA, USA. We have voided the transaction after 5 e-mail attempts since 25th to confirm. Please check the e-mail you registered in our website. Paypal payment has been sent back to you. As mentioned, it's not part of the special but will do it for you anyway. S14 stock will be available in our China office Oct 10th. Please re-order the S14 then.

Geinea I update

Hi all,

We have news to share with you on the Geinea front and rear lights. Xeccon wanted to improve on the design hence the delay. Reviews will be posted here soon. Cat will be doing the review of the Geinea's. Colleen will review the Spiker 1211 when ready sometime next month.

Meanwhile the "super thrower twin light" and the 3 LED rear light are in the pipeline. These two are my concepts. AutoCAD designs are done. Patent application is sought for them as with all new Xeccon lights.

We will include some Geinea pics and beam shots. Anodized colors, mountings and remote may be prototypes. We will have final product specification in a few days.

Hurricane Sandy

Hi all,

Just a quick announcement. Shipments to the eastern seaboard will probably be delayed because of Sandy. Shipments sent today to a couple of places in NC and MD may be affected. They may end up being stuck in LA Gateway till the hurricane clears. Do keep safe to everyone in affected areas.

In other shipment delay news, China is still having their month long confab for next President. Li-ion products may be delayed because of security issues. We have been sending from AU for the past 2 weeks and will continue to do so till it's ok to do so again.

Thanks for your attention.

Leonard

Last edited by mtbRevolution; 10-29-2012 at 01:35 AM.
Reason: sounds worse than first thought!

MTBR SPECIAL: Xeccon Geinea Rear Light for USA and Australia

Hi all, we are having a promo special on the ultra bright Xeccon Geinea rear light set. The set has updated 4 mode UIs. Steady Hi, Steady Low, Slow Strobe and Fast Strobe. Price is USD69.00 for USA Special and AUD 69.00 for AU Special. Due to the Chinese New Year Holidays, we are unable to ship to anywhere else but will resume full international shipping two weeks from now.

We guarantee this light will enhance your riding safety not only in the night but in the mid afternoon. The set comes with a 2 cell battery in silicone boot. Yet to be completed review on mtbr is here. Apologies for the delay getting the 4 mode UI's going so the reviews can resume here and on Bikeforums. Including some pics of the light set boxes and the front light only since it's the first time it's shown in public.

Please e-mail or speak to us on Live Help in the websites should you have questions.

The S12 U2 is a mirror finish reflector light while the S14 U2 is orange peel (OP). Mirror finish reflectors tend to help throw light better than OP reflectors. OP reflectors smooths out the donut ring effect giving it a better flood beam pattern compared to the S12 U2 which has very concentrated light with an intense spot perfect for helmet use.

The S12 U2 equipped with XM-L U2 OD while the S14 U2 uses standard U2. We'll be getting a prototype S12 XM-L2 in the next couple of weeks. It is said to be 5-10% brighter. Question is, what do we call it?

Last edited by mtbRevolution; 03-05-2013 at 05:05 PM.
Reason: typo on the S14 U2

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I had heard the new XM L2 was coming out. Any ideas on an eta for incorporating it into a Xeccon light? I'm looking to purchase around May or June, but would love to have the Cree XM L2.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I had heard the new XM L2 was coming out. Any ideas on an eta for incorporating it into a Xeccon light? I'm looking to purchase around May or June, but would love to have the Cree XM L2.

Will have the XM-L2 in our S12s by then. Faye of XecconLight is definitely looking at putting them in the Spiker 1206s. While I am always aiming for grunt, they are aiming for efficiency.

Re: Introducing Xeccon + mtbRevolution

Hi all, just a few announcements. We've changed our Australian website as mtbRevolution Australia but will keep the domain name for now. mtbrRevolution.com will continue as it has but will get a sprucing up.

The Geinea rear light sale is still on and so are the soft pack batteries from Bloomington IN. There are no more hard shell versions there at the moment but drop us a line if it's more than one battery, we'll get it to you via FedEx or DHL. They are available on mtbRevolution.com and in our AU website.

The "S12 Two" will be out mid April. Like the S12 U2, this upgraded XM-L2 version is exclusive to mtbRevolution. From our understanding, everyone else has the original T6 version. We are currently offering Pre-Orders at AUD 105.00 with the BAK 4400mAh. We'll offer the Lithium Polymer 6000mAh and S12 Two at USD 120.00 including DHL/FedEx shipping. Average transit time 12 days from order.

The Sogn 700 6 x LED twin light will be released very shortly. We will have samples in a couple of weeks. There will be two versions - standard and wireless remote version. Will confirm the lumen numbers when I see it. Nearly fell off my chair first reading the numbers on e-mail. There are other models like the Spiker 1211 and Xeccon Niguer already released but we'll talk about those later.

Hi Leonard! I'm interested in the S12 Two + Spiker kit. Is the Spiker 1211 the newer version of the Spiker 1207 with the XM-L2's?

Hey DRILLINDK, the S12 Two will be available just over a week from now. Can send it with whatever bar light you choose. A side note: the Spiker 1210 now comes with 3 modes - Hi>Med>Lo and no stepless dimming.

The Spiker 1211 is more like a 1206 single XM-L variation. So it's not a mtb bar light but probably a road bike bar light if it throws light well. I will check with Faye if they are fitting those with XM-L2. We can certainly get them to do that for us.

Are you planning on pricing them both together like the s12and 1207 are?

Hi DRILLINDK, replied both questions on PM. Clarify for those who don't know. XM-L2 can be fitted on the Spiker 1207 - most probably in our new stock. The S12 U2, Spiker 1206 and 1207s, they are currently fitted with XM-L U2 OD. Spiker 1210s are fitted with 4 x XP-G so it cannot be upgraded to 4 x XM-L2. If it's worth the exercise, it can be fitted with XP-G2s. Should there be a quad XM-L2 model in the future, it would probably be another brand new model.

Will include preview pics of the Spiker 1211, Niguer 300 and Sogn 700. XecconLight is still working on other new models. There will have an impressive range by the end of the year.

Sorry it took me 24 hours to respond. I needed to double-check so I don't end up back-peddling on my statements. Before I continue, let me share this with everyone. Some model names Xeccon use are "significant transliterations" to the boss. With that aside, lets talk about the Sogn.

The Sogn 700 and 900 are two models with multiple LEDs. From my understanding, the wireless remote model will be fitted with XP-G R5s. Estimated max output 2800 lumens. The standard remote version will be fitted with either XM-L U2 or XM-L2. This heavily depends on the availability of the XM-L2s - it's not easy getting stock. Everyone's after it. The estimated max output for the XM-L version is in the vicinity of 4000 lumens. How close to max are these lights driven? I will say more when I have the lights in my hands in 10 days time - barring no delays. I was concerned with heat dissipation when I first read it. Faye has assured there is significant thermal dissipation and management in the design. To date, Xeccon light heads have proven to operate cooler than most time after time. If Xeccon Light has produced a high output light with great thermal management, this would be another feather to their cap.

Spiker 1211, Niguer 300, Sogn 700 & 900

Firstly, the Spiker 1211. This light is small and light-weight. At 66 grams with the cable and connector this is the second lightest front light behind the Geinea light head. Dimensions is 35mm in diameter and 43mm long. Fitted with XM-L U2 to pump out 650 real lumens. The spot intensity is bright. Will publish runtime test later.

Next up is the Niguer 300. This is another XM-L light. Beam pattern and brightness is about the same as the 1211. The special feature of the Niguer is it's waterproof capabilities. It can be submerged up to 2 meters of water. Weight is 98 grams with cable and connector. Dimensions are 34mm in diameter and 49mm long. All new lights from Xeccon comes with square connectors which is a better waterproofing design. It is still compatible with standard MS type connectors but will not be waterproof.

The Sogn 900 is smaller than I first thought. Build quality is excellent. Weight is 175grams for the light head with alloy cam lock. 223 grams with controller, cables and connectors. Brightness? Will give any twin XM-L a run for their money. It's substantially brighter than the Spiker 1207. The wall shot comparison with the MJ-880U shows pretty similar initial output - maybe even a little brighter because the tint is white. Xeccon's thermal management will see it keep that brightness 5 > 8 > 15 mins onwards with it's twin XM-L2 emitter. Lumen count won't fall like a lead balloon. Will publish beamshots later this week. We are currently doing some runtime test. XecconLight would like to do some minor tweaking so there won't be a review for the Sogn 700 standard, wireless and Sogn 900 till later.

The brightness of the Sogn 700 standard light is phenomenal - my test unit came with XM-L U2 not XM-L2. Build is bigger and basically similar but not identical especially the sides of the body. Weight is 230 grams for light head with alloy cam lock. 289 grams with remote, cables and connector. The Sogn 700 runs on a 12.6V 5600mAh hard shell battery. The first run gave me only 1 hour 28 mins on max brightness. Good or bad? Good because the super white brightness comes from high draw with good thermal management. Bad because you can't have this type of insanity for too long.

Just in: Runtime test for the Sogn 900 is over 2 hours 15 mins using the Xeccon 6600mAh hardshell. That's less runtime than 880U which may mean high amp draw. Side note: I am dying to hook it up to the LiPo pack next.

Leonard,
Those are some great looking new products...especially the Sogn.
BTW...I updated my review of the Xeccon Hard case battery...

Thanks Mayor. That's what we want to hear. Just completed the first runtime test for a single S12 Two with standard BAK 4400mAh and 3 with LiPo 6000mAh packs. I am seeing efficiency with the XM-L2s. While it's only slightly brighter than the S12 U2, the runtimes show tell different story. We have been consistently getting 3 hours 15 mins from the S12 U2 with BAK 4400. My first run with the S12 Two with 4400 came in at 4 hours 24 mins. I have to redo it two more runs to be sure it's not a freak result.

LiPo packs gave me longer runtime but the first and last 2 were quite apart. The first one went off at 6 hours 18 mins while the other 2 depleted at 6 hours 46 mins. Will need to do another run.

Thanks Mayor. That's what we want to hear. Just completed the first runtime test for a single S12 Two with standard BAK 4400mAh and 3 with LiPo 6000mAh packs. I am seeing efficiency with the XM-L2s. While it's only slightly brighter than the S12 U2, the runtimes show tell different story. We have been consistently getting 3 hours 15 mins from the S12 U2 with BAK 4400. My first run with the S12 Two with 4400 came in at 4 hours 24 mins. I have to redo it two more runs to be sure it's not a freak result.

LiPo packs gave me longer runtime but the first and last 2 were quite apart. The first one went off at 6 hours 18 mins while the other 2 depleted at 6 hours 46 mins. Will need to do another run.

Hi Leonard,
I was wondering if along with increased brightness and runtime if you also notice a cooler running lighthead with the XM-L2's extra effeciency. Summer nghts in Phoenix do a good job of testing the thermal protection functions of most lights so a cooler running light is important to me. Please let me know if you can tell any difference.
Mole

Hi Leonard,
I was wondering if along with increased brightness and runtime if you also notice a cooler running lighthead with the XM-L2's extra effeciency. Summer nghts in Phoenix do a good job of testing the thermal protection functions of most lights so a cooler running light is important to me. Please let me know if you can tell any difference.
Mole

Hi Mole, the S12 Twos are running barely warm with the fan on level 1. The Sogn 900 runs even cooler from what I can tell considering it's brightness and lower runtime could mean an approximate 2.8A amp draw. Faye assured me the Sogn's have "special thermal treatment" weeks ago. They run very cool considering their power. I am doing the second runtime test now with the 900 hooked to the LiPo pack . I can't say for sure how well this light will do in AZ. I will do a test later without air flow and see what I get.

1. Some simple (no abbreviations) definitions or explanations to the light(s) emitter(s) Example Cree XML U2/L2/T6
2. The perceived difference (to the eyes) between cool white/neutral white/warm white tints etc.
3. What does it mean when bins are spoken about?
4. When you would prefer a smooth reflector and why?
5. When would you prefer a orange peel reflector and why?
I'll try to think of more. btw I have two GeoManGear lights and a Amazon clone. I can't tell the difference. I would assume the Amazon battery is junk. Right now we have three bikes and three lights, but we want six lights so I'm learning as much as I can. Thank you for being here.

1. Some simple (no abbreviations) definitions or explanations to the light(s) emitter(s) Example Cree XML U2/L2/T6LED emitters have gone through leaps and bounds in a few short years. When the first Seoul SemiConductor SSC P7 came in, everyone was in awe with the brightness of this revolutionary LED (including ourselves since we bought two Nitelights [which are 808s] before we got into this business). The Cree revolution then began with the X-Lamps. XM-L T5 and T6s saw us waving goodbye to the P7s. Then the XM-L U2s came along and out of that, we have sub-bins within the U2 bins. We have the XM-L U2 OD in our S12 U2s. Just when we thought the next step of this evolution will be the commercial offerings of U3 and U4, Cree branched off to the XM-L2. This is the latest LED emitter from Cree and it's really a long way since the SSC P7. Bear in mind the bikelight market is only a small part of Cree's business. XM-L emitters are used in commercial office and warehouse lighting, street lighting, parking bays, petrol stations, all with much higher order volumes.

2. The perceived difference (to the eyes) between cool white/neutral white/warm white tints etc.I was about to publish the beamshots of the Sogn 700, 900 and Spiker 1211. The Sogn 700 in the pic below is cool white. Most night riding enthusiast do not fancy cool white tints. The toss is between Neutral and Warm which tends to be yellow-er. Warmer tints are better for picking up objects while cooler tints tent to throw light better. You will also notice 10 years ago cool white/almost blue tints was all the rage in car headlights, including HID and Xenon lights used by BMW. Look now, they have all gone back to warm yellow tints. I hope that doesn't happen to bike lights.

3. What does it mean when bins are spoken about?Bins are color, brightness, standards grading, just like how chicken eggs are graded. We have different sizes, shapes and color. If a bike light manufacturer buys premium, they will have consistent color tints and brightness across 50 lights in a row. Budget manufacturers or those-on-the-cheap will have light tints all over the place. Our experience in the past includes having 10 lights of the same brand and model with blue, green(quite common and hated), brownish, purple and worse of all, red?? tints in a line up. Was like a row of jellybeans. This will not happen with Xeccon products.

4. When you would prefer a smooth reflector and why?Smooth reflector throws further and generally creates a very small but intense hotspot. It also tends to create donut rings but if you are after long light throw from the helmet light then this is the best choice.

5. When would you prefer a orange peel reflector and why?
Others may disagree with me but IMO, only when it's used as a bar light. It smooths out the donut transitions to give you a more even beam pattern. OP reflectors tend to spread out and do not have very intense* hotspots. *[Intense definition subjective but if you have used an S12 before you will know what intense hotspot is]

I'll try to think of more. btw I have two GeoManGear lights and a Amazon clone. I can't tell the difference. I would assume the Amazon battery is junk. Right now we have three bikes and three lights, but we want six lights so I'm learning as much as I can. Thank you for being here.You cannot tell the difference unless you do a tear down. If the Amazon battery is still holding charge and giving you good runtime it does not matter what cells are inside.

Now to my beamshot post. First is the Spiker 1211. Orange Peel mini light with XM-L U2. Tint is neutral to warm. Good performance from such a light. Hooked it to a LiPo pack and got 6 hours 27 mins on high. Second pic is the Sogn 900. Warmer tint through XM-L2 emitters. Third pic is the Sogn 700 with cool tint. A little too cool for me but this demonstrates the difference. Forth and last pic is the set up for the shots. Beamshots taken with HTC One X on standard settings. The camera produces the beam patterns and light throw as they are in person. It may be a bit darker than shots most of us are used to but it's WYSIWYG.

Excellent work by Xeccon, interesting new lights and nice support from Leonard.
Looking forward for more data. Loving the Sogn 900 so far...bright and not too cool as I prefer. Even though it has smooth reflector, I liked its beam pattern.

Hi I just thought I would provide an update to this thread on some of the new products that Xeccon have been developing. I am lucky enough to live in the same city as Leonard & after some correspondence about the Sogn range he offered the prototype lights for me to test for a week. I am not affiliated with Leonard or Xeccon in any way. I have just purchased my lights from Leonard like any other customer.

I went to pick up the lights & he surprised me by offering a number of other lights from his range. I not only got the prototype Sogn 900 & 700 but also 2X S12 U2 & L2 & finally the surprise powerhouse the Tobest NB-08. This was accompanied with a box of charges & accessories. Customer service & trust was unprecedented.
I wonít go into full details about the products as they are still prototype stage & to be honest some of them are not quite there. But I will give you an idea on what is happening in the Xeccon development phase.

Xeccon S12 two.
To be honest there has been plenty of praise about this light & after some use on the trail there is no doubt that this is one very efficient light thrower. It just goes to show you that if the optics are right you can do allot with very little in terms of draw efficiency. Anyway it was the first light I put on my purchase list (helmet light tick).

Xeccon Sogn 900 (Prototype).
I was actually surprised on the size of the 900. I was expecting a little bigger. It is quite an efficient package but it isnít what you call a light weight package. It has a solid quality feel to the light head & runs cool for extended durations. Over engineered comes into my mind when spending some time with this light. I think there would be some opportunity to cut a little weight out of this lamp without too much degradation to the thermal performance. Talking to Leonard Xeccon are quite conservative when It comes to thermal management & mass. If they release this lamp as it is it will definitely be a reliable tank tough bar light. The mass seems just a little too high for it to be comfortable on the front of your helmet. The beam pattern is more spread than spot. Performance of the beam is quite good. I would say it has about half the throw of the S12 but a nice even spread. The optics seem quite well sorted for this package & the runtimes make this light a solid performer. There are still some issues with the UI on both of the prototype lamps (900 & 700). There are just 2 many functions to scroll through for one button. I hope Xeccon listen to Leonard on this. The mode button needs to be as efficient as possible 3 to 4 modes max. Sometimes I think that 2 buttons make more sense on some of these lamps to break out various strobes & off functions.

Xeccon Sogn 700 (Prototype).
Now the lamp most LUM hungry people are interested in. The 700 was also smaller than I expected but again built like a tank. I would respect anyone who could live with this on your helmet for more than an hour. When I first turned this on I thought wow. It blew the 900 away in brightness. But after the eye adjusts to the intensity of the lamp you quickly notice that the throw is just not there. The fall off of light intensity is too rapid for my liking. At the moment it feels like a supercharged V8 with a Vespa gearbox. To me it seems Xeccon packaged the overall size first before looking at the contents. With this approached I feel the biggest loser in this design is the optics. Xeccon are trying to package small reflector style optics in a space that only a lens optics could function. The result is poor throw & wide spread. I commend Xeccon for making the jump to a high power lamp. I think it could be a big seller for them. They just need to go back to the drawing board with the optic design. Their options are either tune the spacing of the LEDís & try and tune the current reflector design or look into lens optics to gain the efficiency this lamp deserves. Personally I think Xeccon are wasting their time with the reflector design unless they are willing to grow the lamp head significantly. There is a good reason why the S12 performs & it is due to the ratio of the optic size to the light source. Lenses are the key in my opinion how to make the sledge hammer lamp focus its power with the space they have available.

Tobest NB-08
This was the lamp that Leonard just threw into the mix (secretly knowing the outcome I am sure). This little light has 3 Cree XM-L T6 emitters & enough space to have an effective & efficient reflector design. The result is a lamp that is noticeable brighter than the Sogn 900 & I am sure with 2 of these on the bars it would comfortable outperform the Sogn 700 in throw even with the higher spec production Cree XM-L2 emitters. For me it was an obvious choice for this seasons night riding. The impressive beam pattern & 3+ hour runtime in production now (2x bar duty tick).

Although my above post may not read as positive as others may have hoped. You need to realise that these are prototype lamps. Xeccon are still developing & tunning the hardware. My post along with Leonards is intended to help the development of these lamps & make them better products. The truths now will hopefully spur further refinement & development. I commend the aggressive lamp line-up Xeccon are developing. A few small & a couple large changes to the above products will ensure a good spread of performance lights tailored to various uses & budgets. The Sogn 900 is very close to ready. The Flagship Sogn 700 needs some more focusing of its power to justify its wattage.

Thank you Leonard for the opportunity to play with your prototypes & I look forward in seeing the final release of the Xecconís Sogn range.

I ran into the Mayor at a battery shop near home yesterday and he suggested I look up your stuff here. Looks very, very impressive. Definitely like what I see. Do you have any updates on availability for any of the newer products? Where is the best place to get what is available right now if I decide not to wait (mtbRevolution MTB Mountain Bike Lights | Road Riding LED Lights | Xeccon Lights) I'd really like to have something before going up to NEMBAfest in VT around the end of June. I still need to read more of the thread but a few quick questions if that is OK

I don't see many postings listing weight, I'd really like to compare it to what I have now. I much prefer a helmet light (although never like the extra weight) as no handlebar light is going to light the upcoming trail while I'm cresting a hill and I want to know what to expect those few seconds before my bars come down. What is the weight on the S12 or S1210 on your web site. The Ginea looks very small and I suspect light but there are few shots showing how it attaches to ones helmet. Photos of helmets mounted with all the lights would be great for perspective (the one I see of the 1210 makes it look quite big). Can the 1206 be run on your helmet? Again no weight or photos.

I ran into the Mayor at a battery shop near home yesterday and he suggested I look up your stuff here. Looks very, very impressive. Definitely like what I see. Do you have any updates on availability for any of the newer products? Where is the best place to get what is available right now if I decide not to wait (mtbRevolution MTB Mountain Bike Lights | Road Riding LED Lights | Xeccon Lights) I'd really like to have something before going up to NEMBAfest in VT around the end of June. I still need to read more of the thread but a few quick questions if that is OK

I don't see many postings listing weight, I'd really like to compare it to what I have now. I much prefer a helmet light (although never like the extra weight) as no handlebar light is going to light the upcoming trail while I'm cresting a hill and I want to know what to expect those few seconds before my bars come down. What is the weight on the S12 or S1210 on your web site. The Ginea looks very small and I suspect light but there are few shots showing how it attaches to ones helmet. Photos of helmets mounted with all the lights would be great for perspective (the one I see of the 1210 makes it look quite big). Can the 1206 be run on your helmet? Again no weight or photos.

I'd love to see another update from you.
Thanks

Hi Bikerribs, thanks for the kind note. The Spiker 1211 and Niguer 300 are available now. The Sogns are still going through some final tweaks before release. I can't say for sure they are going to be within two weeks from now. Going from experience and this applies to all manufacturers, the timetable almost always blows out. The 900 is closer to release, both in wired and wireless remote versions. New and upcoming models will be published in this link New Xeccon Models 2013.

Transit times are about 7 working days from order. Just a matter of choosing the best light for your needs. There's always a compromise between weight : brightness : light throw. I will post weights of most models here now. Will separate the helmet/bar and bars only lights from lightest to heaviest. All weight postings includes cables and connectors.

My recommendation for helmet light will always be S12s. I run two Twos on the helmet. A bit weighty but if we want V12 performance we can't complaint about weight. I can live with 567g nesting on my head because the joy of having a mini helicopter searchlight outweight any discomfort.

If you are after the lightest weight to throw ratio then I recommend the Spiker 1211. Will attach pics to give you perspective. The beam throw is pretty decent considering it's weight. It outperforms the 1206 IMO. Captain's Log: I would like to see a mirror finish version, boosting it with LiPo and possibly upping the amp draw a little.

The Geinea light has a velcro strap. We've posted this pic before but will do it again so you can see how it's attached directly to a helmet which has provision for it. Pic show is actually the rear prototype light we had. The actual colour is the beautifully anodized green and bronze combination. The 1206 is a little too floody for the helmet IMO. I prefer to recommend the 1206 and Niguer 300 as a commuter light rather than a mtb one. If anything the S14 makes a better helmet light.

Underwater runtime test

Over the months, we've been asked many times, how waterproof are Xeccon's bike lights and batteries? Yeah, it's highly water resistant. Yes, it can be submerged for short durations. Yup, it will survive anywhere between a heavy downpour to a F4 Tornado. While I've always had confidence in the products, I never quite had the guts to really give them a waterproof/water resistance test. Are they as sensitive as cellphones/mobile phones? Will they conk out at the hint of water? Time to answer these questions. I decided to give the Niguer and Spiker 1210 powered by Xeccon's 6600mAh and Samsung celled 7800mAh Hard Shell batteries a runtime test, underwater.

Focus is not runtime but running the lights and batteries on Hi submerged. This presents a handful of unknowns. They were going to be in a bit of pressure, creating heat underwater and creating small bubbles on their shells over time like a heat element in a kettle. They had to maintain water resistance integrity for up to 4 hours. These lights were not prepped with silicone or waterproofing agents. A point of entry will be where the screw secures the o-ring mount. The switch panels are well sealed. The o-rings inside the light units will have to do their job else they will be popping bubbles or fizzing like an Alka Seltzer tablet to the bottom of the 60cm tall flower vase.

Well, they survived the test and no light heads or batteries we're killed in the 3 test that we did. Small amount of water DID get in but not enough to damage driver board or LEDs. They are working fine.

So if asked if Xeccon's lights and hard shell batteries water resistant. The answer is yes. Are they waterproof? Yes, they can handle short submergence.

Hi 2009th, the Geinea rear light has one possible water entry point - the screw and thread which secures the mount. In other areas, Xeccon's lights tend to use multiple internal o-rings in their bike light assembly - others may just have one, behind the front glass. In the underwater runtime test, the Spiker 1210 and Niguer 300 remain underwater for over 5 hours. An hour of that was after total battery depletion. I have little doubt they will qualify for IPX-8 if they (including the Geinea rear light) were prepped using waterproofing grease like Dow Corning/Molykote 111. Having said that, it is still unclear how bike-light-heat will affect this grease which is used in most dive torch o-rings.

Xeccon has a dive light called the D3X-II which we have never tested or sold since our focus now is on bike lights. The front glass looks very well secured. As crude it may look to some, I prefer the multiple secure points using Allen screws and a clear visual on the main o-ring.

Would a Spiker 1211on the helmet and s12 two on the bars be a good combination. My other thought would be to replace the S12 with the Nigeur 300, in you opinion which would be a better bar . I would also on occasion likely use it as a helmet light when I loaned out the 1211 to one of my kids.

Which of the s12 or Nigeur is smaller. If I had to comment on the one drawback I see in these lights is like many of the magic shine lights (808) the design appears to make the light very large, I suspect due to the reflectors. I can't imagine putting an 808 on a helmet. I find something like the Piko Lupine or gloworm x2 a nicer light. The upcoming 700 and 900 also appear very large when compared to some others.

My other thought would be to replace the S12 with the Nigeur 300, in you opinion which would be a better bar . I would also on occasion likely use it as a helmet light when I loaned out the 1211 to one of my kids.

Which of the s12 or Nigeur is smaller. If I had to comment on the one drawback I see in these lights is like many of the magic shine lights (808) the design appears to make the light very large, I suspect due to the reflectors. I can't imagine putting an 808 on a helmet. I find something like the Piko Lupine or gloworm x2 a nicer light. The upcoming 700 and 900 also appear very large when compared to some others.

Q: Would a Spiker 1211 on the helmet and s12 two on the bars be a good combination? A: Absolutely not a good set up. Reasons are, the S12s will out-throw the 1211 by quite a distance. They have an intense hot spot which is much brighter than the 1211 overall. The S12 beam pattern doesn't have a whole lot of flood even if you run two. There is hardly any light between the bar and 8 meters ahead of you if installed on the bar, unless you face them down. If you had two 1211s on the bar and a single S12 on the helmet then yes, that could be a relatively good combination, but we can do better.

Q: Which of the s12 or Nigeur is smaller? A: Niguer. Unfortunately we have to balance between budget, weight (comfort), aesthetics (smaller size & TIR lens designs) and high performance (brightness & light throw). We can't have it all. If the purpose is faster challenging night trail and singletrack then have a purposed built flood light (multiple LED or aspherics) for the bar and a reflector cup light for the helmet. Good reflector cups will always out throw TIR or aspheric lens lights. To date no designer or manufacturer has proven otherwise. The bigger and deeper the cup the better. Performance generally means larger size. The 1211 is a compromise of that. Smaller, lighter, shallower cup but having very respectable performance. It's brighter and most certainly out throws the MJ-808e.

Xeccon's range of lights use Aluminium reflector cups which are specially coated which give them their finish. They are not fitted with cheap plastic reflector cups. This also means they are heavier. The S12's solid CNCed and specially coated reflector cup is about 25 grams on it's own. Asset or liability?

The Sogns are about the same size/weight/performance category compared to equivalent lights. The 700 is in similar bracket as say Niterider 3000, MyTinySun 3600 and possibly the Bettys. The 900s are in the dual XM-L aspherics category although the 900 is again another Xeccon signature reflector cup light rather than TIRs. The only TIR light Xeccon has is the diffused lens Geinea rear light.

The Sogn 900s are on their way. We should have them in a couple of weeks. Price is USD 212.00 including delivery, anywhere in the world. I will post more information when I receive them.

Spiker 1211 delivered on time

So after a lot of work by Leonard I've gotten my Spiker 1211. Can't say enough about all the work he did to get me the light and the batteries I wanted I. A timely manner. Light is certainly high quality, and well made. It is also small which was important to me, I didn't want a huge weight on my helmet. Beam is very good from what I can see so far. Haven't gone out into the woods yet so no idea how the beam will work out there. It does have a nice wide pattern. Hope to test it out this weekend. Charger is only a 1 amp charger which means 6 hr charge time which I find a bit long for the 4400mAh battery.

At the same time I Bought a cheap CREE XML T6 off Amazon for my 8 year old. Light also seems very well made. The beam pattern of Spiker is much better being a lot more diffused rather than a very small spot. I will say for $23.50 it is still quite a deal though. No idea what to expect from the battery yet. You can also get a diffuser for the light for another $5

I've posted the beam patterns for the Spiker and the CREE. The Spiker is on the right in the 1st 3 images. The Spiker is on the left in the final image. The Spiker clearly provides a better pattern for riding.

Hey there I was hoping you could clear something up for me that seems inconsistent across sites and images.

I would like to order some lights but I need the connectors to match my existing lights and batteries. Will connectors have the round plugs or square plugs? I will be ordering from Australia.

I hope you can clear this up for me as the sites you can order these lights from do not show an image of what comes packaged with the light.
Thanks.

A little more info.. I am looking at getting either the S12 two and 6000 mAh pack, or the Geinea front and rear combo.

Hi waimser,

On the question of square, round and standard connectors. As of Aug 1 2013, ALL Xeccon products will come with their specially designed square connectors. They have been proven to be superior to the round in waterproofing. At the beginning of this transition, Xeccon will provide square-round and round to square adaptors for free in their light sets and batteries. While connection is still possible without these adaptors, we understand changing to a different standard can annoy some, but it's for the better. Who knows Xeccon's square connector may one day be the standard.

We currently have Y cables with all 3 round connectors, square male to 2 square female and round male to one round and one square females.

Current stock with round connectors are: S12 Two, S12 U2(which we are phasing out since XM-L2 is brighter and more efficient), S6, S14 U2, Spiker 1206, 1207, 1210.

Current stock with square connectors (which are all the new models since the Geinea onwards) are , Geinea's Rear Only, Front Only and Front + Rear. The other square connector ones are Spiker 1211, Niguer 300, Sogn 700 and Sogn 900 (except for wireless which is a 4 core connector)

We used to show some listings with whatever is provided in the set. We took them down but will have the pics of the package again soon.

The S12 Two with LiPo is a great combination. The LiPo battery is sold out but will have new stock early to mid next week. Since the LiPo is a Tobest product it will always come in round connectors but we will provide an adaptor when S12 or other lights are fitted with square connectors. We currently have heaps of S12 Twos so we're in no danger of not providing you waterproofed connections.

June 2013 Update

Some updates from Xeccon. All light heads will have hot surface warning from now on. Children playing with high powered LED lights can get their fingers burnt so a timely reminder is a good thing. All products will have production number engraved on each light to identify date of manufacture. This facilitates warranty claims and authorized seller identification. BTW, Xeccon products has not and will not be found on Amazon or eBay.

Geinea Front + Rear Sets' rear cable will be black from Aug 1. That white cable is history.

All Sogns will have High > Med > Low > Strobe modes from now on. Some tweaking is still going on with the 700 but the 900 is finalized. Sogn 700 Prototype 2 gave us a runtime of 2 hours 26 mins. That's an hour's improvement over the first proto with little loss of brightness. Throw has improved but still needs a little work on the reflector.

As mentioned all Xeccon products will use square connectors. Square to round and round to square adaptors will be offered for free initially. This is effective Aug 1.

This is by popular demand. Switches will be lit when the light is on. When the light is turned off the light on the switch is off too. No need to disconnect at the connectors when not riding. This will be from Aug 1.

Xeccon's low battery visual warning. While very handy so the rider know his/her helmet light is down to a certain battery level. Some love it. Others hate it. So, the changes are, when battery is depleted to almost halfway and on reserve power (flashing red) the strobe will flash 6 strobes per second for 3 times. This will eliminate intervals of darkness completely. Effective Aug 1.

Xeccon's 6 cell battery packs will be inside silicone boots like the 4400s effective Aug 1. There will also be markings distinguishing BAK or Samsung equipped packs.

After much deliberation and discussion with sellers including ourselves, Xeccon will not be using Panasonic cells in their battery packs. Lithium Polymer may be an option but still under consideration.

Speaking of Li-ion and LiPo batteries, mtbRevolution will supply light sets without batteries to anywhere in the world. We will resume battery specials for USA very soon. This also means we are able to supply complete light sets from our websites to mainland US. Other locations are TBA at this stage.

While this is not the best place to talk about dive torches, we have to introduce new members of the Xeccon family of lights. The Nemo line. The Nemo 900 dive torch is released and ready for market. mtbRevolution is brought out of "dive torch retirement" with these torches. We gave up dealing with dive torches over 6 months ago due to bad experiences with dive torches. Trusting is one thing, we had to be convinced and we are with the Nemo range. After a month long test in an independent lab, the Nemos are Officially Certified to IPX-8.

The Nemo 1000 will be out shortly and that will be powered by 3 x U2s. The design is similar to this battery chamber to light head via cable design. This is of course handy for the diver. He/she needs her hands to swim and grapple items, not use them carrying a torch.

Re: Introducing Xeccon + mtbRevolution

Website News Update Aug 2013

As mentioned, we are shaking it up a little with our websites. In the next two weeks mtbrevolution.com will be our only website. Contents and layout will be from the magicshineledlights.com.au site. It will have a permanent re-direct to mtbrevolution.com to maintain links from forums and blogs etc. The re-direction will be severed eventually. This also means links from mtbr night riding forum will be broken. It's the price we have to pay for this divorce. I hope contributors can edit new links in due course. Thanks in advance.

mtbRevolution's admin/payments are processed in China with Australia still being our main market. Orders in Australia will be delivered overnight via Toll Priority. Nothing will change in terms of service. Internationally, we ship as per normal which is a little longer nowadays - transit times are about 6 days to the USA. Prices will be in Australian Dollars which will mean it's cheaper for you Americans. We do not have problems shipping Li-ion to anywhere else in the world except US. For USA, we have a back up to DHL (who constantly shifts goalpost). We sent full sets of Sogn 900 and S12 Two to DRILLINDK via DHL. As with all matters of the world, problems are miraculously fixed with extra fees.

Please order via the magicshineledlights.com.au site till we announce mtbrevolution.com is ready to use. We have to move Tobest products till we deplete them. We will eventually sell and promote Xeccon products only.

We are spending resources on mtb 12/24hr night racing. Through racing development, we will produce better products. So if you are planning to commit to some serious mtb racing, please let us kit you up. Help us improve and promote the Xeccon racing brand. Speak to Faye about terms and conditions of sponsorship.

mtbr Specials: Xeccon Samsung celled 7800mAh Batteries

To kick off the northern hemisphere night riding season we'll be offer Xeccon's Samsung celled batteries for US mainland only. We will check if we can ship to Hawaii via USPS. These specials will be shipped from Bloomington, IN as usual. In Australia, price includes shipping as well. For other countries, please contact us for additional shipping cost as these will be shipped from our office in China.

We've been asked to supply batteries only, for mtbr members who bought lights like the SolarStorm X2 etc. To keep it simple and providing the best bang for buck, we will supply the Samsung celled battery instead of the BAK which we had for $49 last year. We will have the 7800mAh Samsung celled batteries instead for AUD 65.00 which works out to USD 59 today. This battery has an extra 15% capacity with higher performance and of course comes with Xeccon's 6 month guarantee. We've not had a single claim from the last BAK sets, which is a very good thing. Here we are actually testing the lights output rather than the batteries performance as I wated to know if there was a lumen difference when using BAK or Samsung. We tested the LiPo too but amazingly the Samsung tops it. Xeccon Samsung Battery Test Data & Xeccon BAK Test Data

Also, I'm looking to replace my MagicShine 872. I find the flood is too bright in the foreground, and washes out my ability to see in the distance (if that makes sense). I'm running a Gemini Xera on my helmet. I guess that my question is: which of the Sogn 900 or Spiker 1207 would be better suited to working as a bar mounted flood that has medium throw and a decent flood in combination with my helmet-mounted Xera ?

Generally, I'm not interested in remote switches or anything more than two light settings...

Also, I'm looking to replace my MagicShine 872. I find the flood is too bright in the foreground, and washes out my ability to see in the distance (if that makes sense). I'm running a Gemini Xera on my helmet. I guess that my question is: which of the Sogn 900 or Spiker 1207 would be better suited to working as a bar mounted flood that has medium throw and a decent flood in combination with my helmet-mounted Xera ?

Generally, I'm not interested in remote switches or anything more than two light settings...

Hi Slyfink, light sets are sent from China. Transit time is about 6 working days. Only US promo specials are from Bloomington IN.

The Sogn 900 performs better than the Spiker 1207. The XM-L2 emitter has better tint & brightness. The mirror finish reflector's throw and width is better too. Modes are Hi>Med>Lo>Strobe>Off. The Sogn 900 wireless can be used with or without the remote. There is a switch on the light head itself. If anything it works perfect with the S12 U2. Is that too heavy compared to the Xera?

Hi Slyfink, light sets are sent from China. Transit time is about 6 working days. Only US promo specials are from Bloomington IN.

The Sogn 900 performs better than the Spiker 1207. The XM-L2 emitter has better tint & brightness. The mirror finish reflector's throw and width is better too. Modes are Hi>Med>Lo>Strobe>Off. The Sogn 900 wireless can be used with or without the remote. There is a switch on the light head itself. If anything it works perfect with the S12 U2. Is that too heavy compared to the Xera?

Leonard

Thanks Leonard,

I already have the Xera, and I'm quite happy with it, so not looking to upgrade. But my 872 is more trouble than it's worth, which is why I'm looking for something new.

Thanks for the info on the Sogn and Spiker. I suspect I will be ordering soon.

Introducing Xeccon + mtbRevolution

Originally Posted by Xeccon

To kick off the northern hemisphere night riding season we'll be offer Xeccon's Samsung celled batteries for US mainland only. We will check if we can ship to Hawaii via USPS. These specials will be shipped from Bloomington, IN as usual. In Australia, price includes shipping as well. For other countries, please contact us for additional shipping cost as these will be shipped from our office in China.

We've been asked to supply batteries only, for mtbr members who bought lights like the SolarStorm X2 etc. To keep it simple and providing the best bang for buck, we will supply the Samsung celled battery instead of the BAK which we had for $49 last year. We will have the 7800mAh Samsung celled batteries instead for AUD 65.00 which works out to USD 59 today. This battery has an extra 15% capacity with higher performance and of course comes with Xeccon's 6 month guarantee. We've not had a single claim from the last BAK sets, which is a very good thing. Here we are actually testing the lights output rather than the batteries performance as I wated to know if there was a lumen difference when using BAK or Samsung. We tested the LiPo too but amazingly the Samsung tops it. Xeccon Samsung Battery Test Data & Xeccon BAK Test Data

I am interested in ordering batteries for US delivery - any update on the anticipated delivery date? Also how to pre-order when your website indicates AU delivery only?

. Hi juergenor, the AU only label is removed. Will check with Faye again later today on the ETA to Bloomington. You may pre-order on the site or wait for us to confirm we have those in stock - I will put one aside for you either way. We can still refund in full if you pre-ordered.

Over the months, we've been asked many times, how waterproof are Xeccon's bike lights and batteries? Yeah, it's highly water resistant. Yes, it can be submerged for short durations. Yup, it will survive anywhere between a heavy downpour to a F4 Tornado.

And for comparison - do you wonder what would happen when you do the same test with standart, cheap chinese bike batteries? Well its not gonna be pretty.

Small rain, water got through the side, one cell short-circuited. Was able to replace one cell and repair battery pack.

Heavier rain, 1 cell competely dead, protection pcb dead, another cell in pair with dead one was discharged to zero and lost 50% of its capacity. Had to replace 2 cells and pcb.

Submersion in water for a long time, was able to salvage the cable and pouch

And believe me - these "tests" weren't intentional, so always, ALWAYS make additional protection from water for chinese batteries. Even simple plastic bag wrapped over the battery will protect it from a rain.